Selfridges toasts food and wine packs by R Design

Selfridges launches a freshly branded range of own-label food and wines next month, with packaging created by R Design. Selfridges is keen to position its own range as complementary to the mix of premium brands it carries.

Selfridges launches a freshly branded range of own-label food and wines next month, with packaging created by R Design.

Selfridges is keen to position its own range as complementary to the mix of premium brands it carries. According to its head of marketing, Beverley Churchill, the new label challenges other own-label designs within the sector.

‘The current design is a traditional food packaging solution and we don’t believe, as a business, that anything we do should be traditional,’ she says.

The consultancy was commissioned in July, on the strength of previous work it had completed for Churchill during her days as head of design at Tesco. It was briefed to create a look that would act as a statement for the store, says R Design creative director Dave Richmond.

The consultancy opted for a minimal, striking approach, with black as the dominant colour, explains Richmond. ‘We adopted black packaging to communicate the confidence in the Selfridges brand, while also reflecting the store’s focus on innovation.’

Black is one of Selfridges’ corporate colours and it provides the background for a range of typographical colours through which the retailer will seek to stand out on-shelf and identify each of the 80 lines.

‘Packaging design within this sector tends to show a product’s content,’ adds Richmond.

‘We were keen to challenge this approach. And if there is anyone who has the confidence to pull off black packaging that doesn’t even show the product, it’s Selfridges.’

The new packaging will be launched in two phases. The first is due to be introduced on 18 November, with the second range appearing in spring 2003.